


Scents

by monophobian



Series: AU Yeah August [15]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, and i have enabling friends so here it is, au of an original work that hasn't been published yet, but i threw out the idea on tumblr, hasn't even been finished either
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-26 00:56:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15652497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monophobian/pseuds/monophobian
Summary: Anna's never been to New Orleans. What better way to spend her first night than at a lounge enjoying good food, good drinks, good music, and unexpected good company?Life Swap AU for AU Yeah August.





	Scents

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU based off the original story I’ve been working on. I’m no where close to publishing it (or even finishing the first draft), but I decided on a whim that this could be fun and I had a blast. 
> 
> If you want information: Nathan is my werewolf and you can read his current introduction [here](https://nicholene.tumblr.com/post/174286769635/threats). (And [here](https://nicholene.tumblr.com/post/138752933960/bar-hopping-for-the-week-5-prompt-a-story-set-in) is his first introduction in my head, should you be interested.) Anna is a human, though writing this drabble helped me finalize a few things about her backstory that were previously hazy. You can find everything pertaining to this work under [this tag](http://nicholene.tumblr.com/tagged/working%20title.) and it’s also what I was working on when I participated in [Camp Nano in April](http://nikkxb.tumblr.com/tagged/camp%20nano%202018).
> 
> I think that’s all I have posted, so here you go!

She loved new cities. They held new smells, new mysteries, new creatures. In the last four of her adventures, she’d met creatures she’d only heard of and here, in the heart of New Orleans, she was hoping to do the same.

The air was musky, smelling of wet earth and marsh even though she was in the middle of the French Quarter, sitting outside a cafe and enjoying the sounds of a band as they played. The cafe — it really was a lounge with the smoky haze outside and the menu boasting beautifully mixed cocktails, but Anna had never been able to adapt the new language against what she grew up with, so because this lounge didn’t offer the company of young, single women with fluctuating morals, it was a cafe.

Funny how she could lose herself in thought when the world was standing right there for her perusal.

The cafe was a nice one, busy and robust and filled with a good staff. The bar seemed to be well stocked and judging from the quick turn around of drinks, well manned. And the band — the band was wonderful. The perfect mix of new and old and just the right touch of blues that reminded her of times past when she would listen to her mom practice in the empty space of a closed lounge.

That had been a lounge. Even now, she could recall the smell of smoke and the taste of awful whiskey and the muffled sounds of women’s despair as men took their use.

Still, even with the tainted memories, she enjoyed the music. She’d always enjoyed the music. Even when she grew too old and was taken from her mother in effort to keep her from following the same, destitute path, she loved the music.

The pianist wasn’t as good as her mother had been, but held promise. His fingers nimble and his ear great as he danced along the keys in time with the percussion. The guitarist held a good sound with the saxophone, but it was he bass player who stole the show.

Anna had always enjoyed the bass and how masters at the craft could make something so low and soft carry a melody all its own. Good ones would partner with the piano to give the drums support with the rhythm; great ones would also play back the riffs of the piano. The best ones would do all of that and still create their something extra.

This one was creating that something extra.

Her drink arrived, the third one she’d ordered. The food was gone, but she hadn’t felt like leaving, not when the scents hadn’t driven her out yet. Usually by this time, drunks either made such a mess she couldn’t stomach the stench or the crowd would get too loud and hurt her ears. Being outside of an established place, having a good staff that controlled the atmosphere, and enjoying the jive of a really good band was a rare experience Anna couldn’t help but soak up.

She was halfway through her cocktail — a new one she’d never tried, some sort of concoction with rum and fruit — when a handsome stranger approached her table. Flashing a charming smile she knew granted him an easy opening of conversation, he laid one strong hand on the back of the chair next to her.

“This seat open?”

His voice sounded nice, a low baritone that complimented his physique well. And he was clean, his scent boasting the lack of sweat and a subtle splash of cologne. He must have applied it earlier that day, considering it didn’t have it’s normal effect on her nose. All of this plus the good mood of the atmosphere worked in his favor and she smiled in return.

“Depends on what you plan to do with it if it is,” she replied, answering that flirt in his gaze with one of her own.

“Take it and enjoy your company.”

Her smile widened and she nodded her assent and then her table for one became a table for two. Her waiter had apparently been watching and approached soon to take this stranger’s order before leaving them alone.

“I was hoping to buy you a drink,” he started, appearing at ease as he began his play, “but you kept changing your order that I figured this would be safer.”

“Pretty confident of you to open by admitting to stalking me.”

Surprise flashed over his face before he laughed. It was a good laugh, deep and inviting and spreading warmth over her skin.

“Watching a pretty lady at a bar is hardly stalking,” he returned and she chuckled along with him.

“I guess not,” she blew out a fake sigh to continue her teasing. “Seems I’ll have to give it a couple days until I can call it that.”

His drink arrived — a double shot of scotch, her nose told her, neat — and he took his sip. While scotch had never been to her taste, she enjoyed its scent and it mixed well with his.

“Does the pretty lady have a name?” he asked.

“She does.”

He grinned and she almost cursed at how good that looked on him. “Is she going to tell me what it is?”

“I don’t know, she’s growing fond of being called ‘pretty lady’.”

He laughed again. She liked that laugh and was really liking his company. It was a great surprise to find in the city on her first night.

“I can keep calling you that if you want,” he said with a voice full of that easy humor, “but I thought a name would be an easier contact in my phone.”

Oh, he was confident. Cocky, even, if his flirts hadn’t been half teasing this entire time. But he was at ease and nothing about his scent signaled anything that would crop up at a refusal from her end.

That had been one of the best side-effects of being bitten when she was twenty-three and having her life as she knew it stripped away — deceit, anger, and entitlement all carried distinct scents that stained the skin and no man had succeeded in tricking her since.

“I’m Nathan,” he continued before she could, “though you’re more than welcome to call me ‘stud’ if you want.”

Anna laughed. She hadn’t laughed like this in a bit, not since the last time she met with Rosina. She couldn’t remember the last time a human made her laugh, especially with a statement as ridiculous as the one he’d just said. Even ridiculous, it fit.

“Anna,” she finally gave in, enjoying that little flicker in his brown eyes as he smiled.

“Pretty name for a pretty lady, Anna.”

She liked that just a little too much. The atmosphere must really be getting to her.

“So since I’m not buying you a drink and you already ate, would you want to split a dessert?”

Maybe it wasn’t the atmosphere. Maybe it was just him.

**Author's Note:**

> They’re supposed to click instantly because the different species/paranormal secret thing keeps them from following up on that chemistry. Colin probably shows up later on in the ‘date’, greets Anna and then hits on Nathan and it’s a fucking mess.
> 
> Anna’s entire backstory with this life swap is amazing and so different and now I kinda want to write it like that. Only I have 53k+ words dedicated to Anna as a human and I’m not dumping that down the toilet just because my love of AUs bit me in the ass.
> 
> Please let me know what you think!!


End file.
